A Systematic Literature Synthesis of 19 Years of Bilingual Education in Chinese Higher Education: Where Does the Academic Discourse Stand?

Fuhui Tong,Shifang Tang,Yue Min,Zhuoying Wang

doi:10.1177/2158244020926510

Fuhui Tong, Shifang Tang + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020926510

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Journal: SAGE Open	Publication Date: Apr 1, 2020
Citations: 16	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Texas A&M University, Cornerstone University

Abstract

In this three-phase, systematic review, we comprehensively synthesize research on bilingual education in higher education institutions over a 19-year period, starting from the initiation of this top-down educational provision across mainland China. In this context, although English has no official status, it is highly regarded and widely used as a medium of instruction alongside Chinese. We critically examine studies ( n = 1,632) published in both English and Chinese outlets on academic discourse that deliberate on what was studied, how it was studied, and what the publication trend was. We argue that scholarly attention should continue to revolve around the benefits of bilingual programs, due to the lack of rigorous empirical evidence that attests to the effectiveness of bilingual education in Chinese higher education. Our review echoes similar research syntheses conducted in Europe and worldwide and is, therefore, expected to shed light on the policy implications and the practice of bilingual education in higher education on a global scale. Recommendations for future research are provided.

Highlights

Last year, that is, 2019, marks the 19th year since the Ministry of Education (MOE, 2001) officially mandated the implementation of bilingual education in higher education institutions across the People’s Republic of China
On account of the many caveats that exist in language learning, we argue that bilingual education is a broad term that subsumes various forms
We report the main results of the synthesis of Chinese and English publications so as to describe developments in the research of bilingual education in Chinese higher education

Summary

Introduction

That is, 2019, marks the 19th year since the Ministry of Education (MOE, 2001) officially mandated the implementation of bilingual education in higher education institutions across the People’s Republic of China Following this initiative, institutions of higher education began to offer courses in both Chinese and another foreign language (predominantly English), in fields that are directly related to national development and internationalization (e.g., biotechnology, information technology, finance, and law; MOE, 2001). The body of English-medium instruction (EMI) is largely dominated by work conducted in Europe and Asia, only three articles discuss higher education in mainland China (see Macaro et al, 2018). There is little else available on bilingual education in a Chinese, postsecondary context, perhaps because such an approach is relatively uncommon and difficult to identify in the region (e.g., literature published in non-English languages, as acknowledged by Macaro et al (2018) and Reljić et al (2015))

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